Study of accidental in-service impacts into wing of commercial aircraft

The article presents the study of wing impact damages scenarios based on the analysis of the data from in-service field survey obtained from Russian commercial operators. Damages were classified by wing zones where they were found and by the sources that caused them. The most typical scenarios of accidental impact damage on the wing were described and the most critical structural areas subjected to impact damage were identified. A qualitative distribution of impact threat levels on the upper and lower wing surface was presented. To enable the use of metallic dent data for damage tolerance analysis of similar composite structures, dent depths were converted into impact energies using a self-developed procedure. Probability distribution functions of impact energies were determined. The results obtained were analyzed in conjunction with relevant industry-accepted thresholds determining the damage tolerance characteristics of composite aircraft structures.